Sean McCloud on Catholic church growth in Charlotte
Sean McCloud, Ph.D., professor and chair of UNC Charlotte’s Department of Religious Studies, was quoted in The Charlotte Observer’s article “‘Resurgence’ or ‘stabilization’? What’s driving Catholic church growth in Charlotte?”
Charlotte’s Catholic institutions are reporting notable growth, but experts say it is too early to call it a religious resurgence. The Charlotte Diocese says its population has grown 10.7% since 2020, with adult entrants rising from 795 in 2022 to 1,743 in 2025. Belmont Abbey College is also seeing record enrollment and rising applications. Church leaders attribute the increase to Charlotte’s booming population, especially newcomers from traditionally Catholic regions, as well as post‑COVID interest in stability, hope and authenticity. They also report more engagement from young adults through religious education and campus ministry programs.
“Whether it’s 2026 or whether it was 1986, social identity and social relationships are usually the number one reason that somebody starts attending any religious organization,” McCloud said.
Scholars, however, caution against interpreting these local gains as evidence of a national shift. Major studies, including the Pew Religious Landscape Study, still show Christian affiliation leveling off after years of decline, with both Protestant and Catholic populations significantly lower than in 2007 and religious “nones” continuing to rise.
“The exciting sort of headlines in some ways hide the fact that we don’t have the empirical data yet,” said McCloud. “It doesn’t mean that we might not see changes in the next three or four years when we actually do have data that show, ‘Oh yes, people are returning to social institutions, including religion, but we just don’t have that yet.”
The news was also featured by The Herald and AOL.